Method and apparatus for determining appropriate size for ring or other device to be worn around finger

ABSTRACT

A product packaging article with an enclosed device intended to be worn on the finger and a built-in sizing hole with a circumference equal to that of the enclosed device. The insertion of a finger into the sizing hole corresponding to the enclosed device provides an immediate, accurate determination of how the enclosed device will fit around the finger.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This nonprovisional utility patent application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 61/561,590 filed on Nov. 18, 2011, under the same title as this nonprovisional patent application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Although it may be possible for some individuals to accurately estimate their finger size in relation to a device worn around the finger, many others may be unable to properly gauge the proper circumference or size without trying on the device. It is therefore advantageous to provide a sizing hole in order for consumers to easily determine the proper size to select. Furthermore, it provides the consumer with a clearer understanding of how the encased device will fit around that consumer's finger. For instance, a consumer deciding between two different sizes may place his or her finger in the sizing holes in order to more closely approximate how each size, respectively, will feel around the finger.

The method and apparatus described herein are novel in that there is no previous art, nor existing patent or patent application, describing such a process. The vast majority of rings and other devices that fit around the finger are displayed and sold as freestanding pieces that may be tried on by browsing customers. While other methods and apparatuses exist that measure an individual's ring size, there is no known method or apparatus that entails packaging both a ring and a sizing device together in a single unit.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a sizing device consisting of an empty space extending through a product's packaging. The sizing device is fashioned into a size and shape identical to the size (diameter) and shape of the corresponding ring or other device to be worn around the finger. The sizing hole is situated within the packaging, directly adjacent to the product (a ring or other device to be worn around the finger) in order to provide a simple, straightforward means for consumers to determine the appropriate product size to select.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a frontal view of the invention (“B”) as embodied in a package containing the sizing hole placed next to the corresponding product (“A”) which—in this representation—is a ring to be worn around the finger.

FIG. 2 depicts a rear view of the same package shown in FIG. 1, including a rear view of the invention (“C”). The sizing hole is shown in both figures, while the corresponding product is not seen in FIG. 2 since it is only visible through the front of the package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This patent application is for a packaging and sizing system designed for rings, and other devices to be worn around the finger, which are available in different sizes. The invention is a sizing device built into the product's packaging. The packaging, although typically plastic, may be comprised of nearly any material. This material may be formed or molded so as to produce a circular shape in the package that conforms to the encased device's approximate circumference and shape. Alternatively, the sizing hole may be produced by using an industrial or handheld hole punch on the designated portion of a pre-packaged device.

Rather than traditional ring-sizing devices—which typically allow the user to discover his or her ring size or finger diameter so that the user may determine which size to purchase—the invention allows the user to discover whether a given ring size fits his or her finger. This binary approach to ring sizing only works when the user has the device at hand, as opposed to other methods that may determine ring or finger size without the intended ring or other device readily at hand.

The best mode for implementation is for the sizing hole to be incorporated into the mold of the packaging. This mode allows for the proper manufacturing of the sizing hole's diameter, as well as the thickness of the residual surrounding packaging material, so as to replicate the fit and feel of the corresponding device as closely as possible.

Alternatively, the sizing hole may be created by using a hole-punching device (corresponding to the ring's size) on an otherwise finished package containing the ring or other device to be worn around the finger. This mode requires an adequate amount of packaging material be exposed, and otherwise unused, adjacent to the ring or other device to be worn around the finger. 

1. A package for display and sale comprising: an enclosed device intended to be worn on the finger; and a sizing hole with a circumference equivalent to that of the enclosed device. The sizing hole article of claim 1, wherein said sizing hole comprises an empty space extending through the packaging material. The sizing hole article of claim 2, wherein insertion of finger into said sizing hole approximates the fit of insertion of finger into enclosed device article of claim
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